Department for Transport

Shipping: Arctic

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the grounding of trawler Northguiderbetween Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet; and what lessons they have drawn for (1) the safety of large passenger cruise ships operating in areas of poor communications and sub-zero temperatures, and (2) the rescuing of people in such conditions.

baroness sugg: The search and rescue and salvage response to the grounding of the Norwegian registered fishing vessel, Northguider, was coordinated by the Norwegian authorities; the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency was not involved in the response. The grounding occurred on 28 December 2018, and the Norwegian authorities have not provided information from any investigation of the incident. As such it would be premature to attempt to draw any conclusions on potential lessons to be learned.

London-Exeter Railway Line

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the stretches of single track railway between Waterloo and Exeteron the movement of passengers and freight onthat line.

baroness sugg: Network Rail’s 2015 Wessex Route Study identified the single track sections on the route between Salisbury and Exeter and platform capacity at Salisbury as some of the factors constraining journey times, increasing the number of services and overall line resilience between Exeter and Waterloo. However, the Route Study concluded that the forecast levels of growth between Salisbury and Exeter did not warrant inclusion of additional sections of double track as a priority in the next Control Period (CP6).

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Electronic Commerce: Unfair Practices

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to tackle unfair market practices by e-commerce companies that run online marketplaces; and whether they will ban such companies from selling products in which they have an equity interest.

lord henley: Consumer protection legislation prohibits traders from engaging in unfair commercial practices. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) prohibit traders from engaging in unfair commercial practices such as misleading actions. There is also legislation in place that protects consumers when buying tickets from secondary ticketing facilities which have an equity interest in the tickets being sold. For example, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires that, where the ticket seller is the operator of a secondary ticketing facility or a person who is employed or engaged by them, they must make this matter known to a prospective buyer. In April 2018, the European Commission published a draft Directive to modernise and improve the enforcement of EU consumer law. This included a proposal to require online marketplaces to provide more information to help consumers understand their rights when shopping through an online marketplace. The proposal is still being negotiated.

Digital Competition Expert Panel

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the outcome of their review into the UK’s competition tools in the context of digital markets.

lord henley: The Government’s Modernising Consumer Markets green paper sought views on how well equipped the UK competition regime is to manage emerging challenges, including in digital markets. We are continuing to develop policy options across the range of measures proposed in the green paper and will respond in due course. The Government has also commissioned the independent Digital Competition Expert Panel to undertake a review into the state of competition in the digital economy and to make recommendations on any changes that may be needed. The independent Panel’s terms of reference were published in September, when the Panel started its work. The Panel ran an open call for evidence between 12 October and 7 December. The Panel expects to publish a final report of its findings in due course. The findings of the panel’s work will help inform our policy proposals.

Productivity

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve labour productivity in the UK.

lord henley: Raising labour productivity is at the heart of the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy. The strategy aims to improve labour productivity by encouraging innovation, developing high quality jobs, supporting UK businesses and fostering growth in all parts of the UK. A year into the Industrial Strategy we have made significant progress towards these goals, including:Investing substantially in skills – We are designing a National Retraining Scheme to support adults impacted by automation, investing £406 in STEM and technical education for people of all ages as well as introducing new T levels to provide a technical alternative to A levels, in addition to our reforms to apprenticeships.The biggest increase in R&D funding ever – we have committed an extra £7bn by 2023/24, including £2.7bn already allocated to innovative programmes supporting industry and researchers through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.Record investment in infrastructure with £37bn committed through the National Productivity Investment Fund by 2023/24. This includes £2.45bn for Transforming Cities and £1bn in digital infrastructure.Publication of Nine Sector Deals, supporting billions in investment from the public and private sector and important sectoral reforms on issues such as technology diffusion and workforce diversity. A further three deals are being negotiated.Announcement of the first ‘missions’ under the Grand Challenges, aiming to galvanise action on ambitious and specific goals in AI & Data, Clean Growth, the Future of Mobility and Ageing Society. This includes a second clean growth mission to decarbonise industrial clusters.

Universities: Finance

baroness royall of blaisdon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, toprevent any funding shortfall for UK universities by introducing domestic funding to replace research income from the European Research Council and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actionsin the event of no withdrawal agreement being reached between the UK and EU.

lord henley: If there is a deal, and the Withdrawal Agreement is ratified, the UK will continue to be able to participate in Horizon 2020 until the end of the programme. This includes access to funding for UK researchers from the European Research Council (ERC) and the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). In the event of a ‘no deal’ scenario, the Government has committed to underwrite all successful UK bids submitted to Horizon 2020 before EU exit, including ERC and MSCA funded projects. Through the extension to the guarantee, the Government has also committed to fund all UK participants’ funding in all Horizon 2020 calls open to third country participants from the date of exit. This would cover the lifetime of projects, even if they last beyond 2020. We are very conscious, though, that third country participation is not possible for nearly all ERC and some MSCA grants. The Government is considering what other measures may be necessary to support UK research and innovation in the event that the guarantee and the extension are required. We are working with stakeholders to identify appropriate measures that could be put in place in the period immediately after EU Exit, if needed.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

South Sudan: Conflict Resolution

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the impact of the harassment and abuse of monitors from the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mission, reported to have been carried out by the South Sudanese National Security Service, near Juba in December 2018.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We strongly condemn the unacceptable harassment and abuse of monitors from the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mission (CTSAMVM) on 18 December 2018. This incident not only constitutes a breach of the 12 September peace agreement, but is also an appalling violation of the human rights of the individuals targeted who are doing an important job in the interests of peace in South Sudan.Through our bilateral engagement, and as part of the Troika (with the USA and Norway), we have joined the UN, EU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in publicly condemning this incident in the strongest terms. We urge the Government of South Sudan to conduct a full investigation and hold to account those found responsible. CTSAMVM is a vital monitoring mechanism under the peace agreement and any hindrance in their ability to conduct their operations safely and effectively is a hindrance to the peace process itself.

Singapore: Capital Punishment

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations were made by the Foreign Secretary to the government of Singapore during his visit in January 2019 to press for the abolition of the death penalty there.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary visited Singapore on 2-4 January 2019. He held bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Balakrishnan. The main focus was on post-Brexit trade, regional security, the rules-based international system and long-term UK/Singapore cooperation. He also raised judicial corporal punishment. The Singapore government is fully aware of our position on corporal punishment and the death penalty. We continue to raise these issues at the highest levels.

Saudi Arabia: Detainees

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about the treatment ofSamar Badawi, Shadan al-Onezi, Eman al-Nafjan,Loujain al-Hathloul and Aziza al-Yousef, social activists who have been held in detention since May 2018 and who have allegedly been subject to torture, solitary confinement, sexual harassment and abusive interrogation; and what action they have taken to assist in securing access to those women by those concerned about their predicament including British parliamentarians.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The British Government is very concerned about the allegations that women's rights activists have been subject to torture during pre-trial detention in Saudi Arabia. We have raised concerns a number of times about these cases at Ministerial level with the Saudi authorities and will do so again. We consistently and unreservedly condemn torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. We raise our concerns wherever and whenever it occurs.The UK is aware of the request made by the Detention Review Panel. The UK welcomes visits by Parliamentarians to enable greater bilateral understanding. We encourage Saudi Arabia to respond to the request.

Cameroon: Armed Conflict

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken over the past month to promote policy formulation within the Commonwealth and the UN in keeping with other commitments to peace making, conflict resolution and conflict pre-emption to ensure appropriate action is being taking within those bodies to promote the fulfilment of those objectives in Cameroon.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: On 13 December the UN Security Council received a briefing from the UN Special Representative for the UN Regional Office in Central Africa. The UK set out the need for the Government of Cameroon to address the situation in the Anglophone regions of the country through inclusive dialogue, confidence-building measures such as releasing detainees, decentralisation and implementing the bilingualism committee's recommendations, allowing full humanitarian and human rights access, and ensuring accountability for violations. The UK announced £2.5 million funding for the UN humanitarian response. We will continue to urge the UN to take an active role in addressing the crisis. The Commonwealth is well placed to support the Government of Cameroon to build a meaningful and inclusive dialogue. The UK will continue to discuss the situation in Cameroon with the Commonwealth Secretariat and other member states where appropriate, as it does a range of issues relating to the Commonwealth's fundamental political values, which are enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter.

Cameroon: Armed Conflict

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government which ministers have had direct discussion within the past month with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth about the conflict in Cameroon; when next they will continue those discussions; and what has been the Secretary-General's response.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Ministers have not held discussions with the Commonwealth Secretary-General in the past month on Cameroon. The UK will continue to work alongside the international community, including through the Commonwealth, the EU, the African Union and the UN, to encourage and support efforts to resolve the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon.

USA: Cross Border Cooperation

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to increase co-operation with the United States in (1) the banking sector, and (2) the information and technologies sector after Brexit.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has a deep and enduring relationship with the United States which we will continue and deepen after we leave the EU. The UK-US Financial Regulatory Working Group lays the foundation for greater co-operation in the banking sector. We will also continue to work with the US under the Science and Technology Agreement signed in September 2017, to develop programmes that broaden our bilateral relationship and keep us at the forefront of international research and innovation.

North Korea: Sexual Offences

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Human Rights Watch into sexual violence against women in North Korea You Cry at Night but Don’t Know Why, published on 11 November 2018.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK continues to have grave concerns over the human rights situation in North Korea. The Human Rights Watch report entitled ‘You Cry at Night but Don’t Know Why’ is a stark reminder of the widespread sexual exploitation and violence against women in North Korea. The Government is committed to addressing all forms of violence against women and girls. We regularly raise human rights concerns with the DPRK authorities via our Ambassador in Pyongyang and the DPRK Embassy in London. The North Korean authorities have dismissed the report’s findings as a fabrication. We urge them to take the accounts seriously and take steps to investigate and address the abuses of power described.

Chevening Scholarships Programme

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 December 2018 (HL12221), whether theywill now require applicants for Chevening Scholarships to provide details of any ethnic or religious minority groups from which they come; and when there will be opportunities for analysis of the new online application system.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​When applicants apply for Chevening Scholarships, they are prompted, but not obliged, to self-declare if they are from an ethnic minority, tribe or indigenous community. There are three possible answers: 'yes', 'no' and 'prefer not to disclose'. We do not ask for further details regarding applicants' ethnic and religious minority groups. It should be possible to report on successful candidates from summer 2019, as applications for the 2019-20 awards have now closed and short-listed candidates will be interviewed from March to May 2019.

Department for Education

Higher Education: Admissions

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government which universities or other higher education institutions they have consulted about adding music to their lists of facilitating subjects.

viscount younger of leckie: Universities are autonomous from government, and consequently control the criteria used to determine admissions. We are aware that some universities, notably those that comprise the Russell Group, identify the A level subjects most likely to facilitate entry to university. However, many other higher education institutions are guided simply by UCAS calculations of tariff points, which give equal weighting to A levels, regardless of subject. The government recognises the importance of arts subjects, including music. Students’ ability to make informed choices is at the heart of our recent reforms to higher education. The department is increasing the information available to students to ensure they can make informed choices about what and where to study.

Children: Speech and Language Disorders

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support is available for children who have a stutter.

lord agnew of oulton: The government is committed to ensuring that children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) get the support they need. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice makes clear that local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and relevant others are responsible for commissioning specialist support locally using their high needs funding budgets.We are aware of the concerns of local authorities about high needs cost pressures. On 16 December 2018, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced an additional £250 million of high needs funding - £125 million for both 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020. This is on top of the £6 billion already provided for the high needs budget.A further £100 million is being invested to create more specialist places in mainstream schools, colleges and special schools, giving more children and young people with SEND, including those with SLCN, access to a good school or college place that meets their individual needs. This takes our total investment to £365 million across 2018 to 2021.

Travellers: Reading

the lord bishop of ely: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following their Race Disparity Audits, what steps they are taking to ensure that educational institutions improve the standard of reading among Gypsies, Roma and Travellers aged 6–7.

the lord bishop of ely: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following their Race Disparity Audits, what steps theyare taking to ensure that educational institutions improve attainment at GCSE level for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers.

lord agnew of oulton: The department’s education reforms, including those aimed at improving teaching, literacy and numeracy, and strengthening the curriculum and examination system, are designed to deliver opportunity and high standards for all pupils, regardless of their ethnic background. These reforms are reinforced by new school accountability measures, which are intended to encourage schools to focus more closely on the attainment of all their pupils. The introduction of a new national curriculum for maintained schools from 2014, with phonics at its heart and the establishment of 32 English Hubs in 2018 specifically support primary schools to improve standards of reading.The department knows that the most significant factor affecting pupil attainment, which cuts across all ethnicities including a high proportion of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children, is economic disadvantage. To tackle this, the department has provided a total of £13.75 billion from April 2011 to March 2018 through the pupil premium to help schools improve the progress and attainment of their disadvantaged pupils. The department continues to provide this additional funding, which is £2.4 billion this year alone.In January last year, the department established the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller stakeholder group to inform policy development to raise the attainment and participation of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils at all stages of education.

School Exclusions Review

the lord bishop of ely: To ask Her Majesty's Government whythe review of school exclusion report was not released by their deadline of the end of 2018; and when they intend to publish that report.

lord agnew of oulton: In March 2018, the government launched an externally-led review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review is exploring how head teachers use exclusion, and why pupils with particular characteristics are more likely to be excluded from school. It is also considering the differences in exclusion rates across primary and secondary schools in England.The review has gathered substantial evidence, including over 900 submissions to the call for evidence. Edward Timpson has also chaired a series of roundtables and the review has met with over 100 organisations and individuals, including schools, local authorities, parents and children.The review will report in early 2019.

First Aid: Education

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the proposal to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in schools will include academies and free schools.

lord agnew of oulton: The government is making health education compulsory in all state funded schools in England, alongside making relationship education compulsory for all primary schools and relationships and sex education compulsory for all secondary schools from 2020, with voluntary teaching beginning from 2019.Health education gives us the opportunity to drive up the consistency and quality of pupils’ mental wellbeing and physical health knowledge by delivering clear content through evidence-based teaching.It is under these proposals that for the first time schools, including academies and free schools, will be required to teach first aid and life-saving skills. By the end of secondary school, pupils will be taught how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the purpose of defibrillators, and basic treatment for common injuries. Learning these skills will help young people support someone in their time of need and develop skills they need to flourish in the modern world.

Children: Protection

lord vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Western Australia’s policy to exempt parents from a criminal records check when volunteering in certain cases to support and participate in their child’s education; and whether they intend to introduce a similar policy in the UK in view of the decline in overall voluntary activity.

lord agnew of oulton: It is paramount that children are protected at school and there is robust safeguarding in place. The department’s statutory safeguarding guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, attached, makes clear that any volunteer should not be deployed to work unsupervised with children without appropriate checks. There are no plans currently to change these arrangements. Many parents play an important role by volunteering to support children in our schools. Unlike in Australia, there is no legal requirement for schools to carry out Disclosure and Barring Service criminal record checks on volunteers, therefore it is unnecessary to consider an exemption for parents from these checks. 



HL12725_Keeping_Children_Safe_in_Education_14.09.1
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Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Birds of Prey: Conservation

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to counter the unlawful killing of hen harriers.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is very concerned about hen harrier populations, which is why we took the lead on the Hen Harrier Action Plan. This sets out what will be done to increase hen harrier populations in England and includes measures to stop illegal persecution. A copy of the plan is available on GOV.UK. All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, with strong penalties for committing offences against birds of prey and other wildlife. The Government takes wildlife crime very seriously and has identified raptor persecution as a national wildlife crime priority, focusing on hen harrier, golden eagle, goshawk, peregrine, red kite and white tailed eagle.

Hares: Conservation

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban the shooting of hares in the breeding season.

lord gardiner of kimble: I refer the Noble Lord to the written response I gave to question HL12295 on 28 December 2018. Please find the response below: Wildlife conservation is a devolved matter so this answer is for England only. The population of brown hares in England is believed to be stable. The majority of hare shooting occurs in regions where brown hares are locally abundant and leads to no long-term impact on hare populations. There is no evidence to suggest that a closed season would significantly benefit the conservation status of brown hares. An industry-led initiative resulted in the publication of a code of practice to protect hares in England. This provides for a voluntary close season covering the main breeding season, while allowing farmers to protect their crops from serious damage by hares.

Fish: Conservation

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, which three species of fish caught for commercial purposes in British waters are in shortest supply.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2017 www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-sea-fisheries-annual-statistics-report-2017 - provides information on the UK fishing industry and about the exploitation of fish stocks. The three key commercially targeted sea fisheries species which would be considered to be in shortest supply determined by scientific advice are: - North Sea cod- Mackerel in the North East Atlantic- West Coast horse mackerel Some bycatch stocks of lower direct commercial importance which are taken in mixed fisheries, such as Celtic Sea cod and Irish Sea whiting, could also be considered as being in short supply.

Air Pollution

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the analysis by the Royal College of Physicians in their report Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution, published in February 2016, that around 40,000 deaths each year are attributable to exposure to outdoor air pollution, what steps they are taking to improve air quality; and when they expect air quality to improve.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK has ambitious targets in place to reduce emissions of five damaging air pollutants (ammonia, nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, fine particulate matter and sulphur dioxide) by 2020 and 2030. We have put in place a £3.5 billion plan to reduce harmful emissions from road transport, and we will end the sale of new conventional diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040. Our new and world leading Clean Air Strategy, published on 14 January, focuses on broader emissions beyond road transport and sets goals working towards World Health Organisation recommendations on particulate matter emissions – going further than the EU requires. Air pollution has reduced significantly since 2010 – emissions of toxic nitrogen oxides have fallen by almost 27%, and are at their lowest level since records began. However, there is more to do, and by requiring comprehensive action from all parts of government and society, we will be able to continue to cut air pollution and save lives.

Hares: Myxomatosis

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer fromLord Gardiner of Kimble on 28 December 2018 (HL12294), what assessment they have made of reports that the hare populationhas been infected by myxomatosis; and if so, what action they are taking to minimise the threat to the hare population.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK’s hare populations are not of conservation concern. The Government is not aware of any evidence to indicate that myxomatosis is having a significant impact on the UK’s hare populations.

Animals: Exports

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government which category of individual, other than an official vet, will be designated as an authorised signatory for export health certificates to enable live animals to pass from the UK into the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the EU on which category of individual will be recognised as an authorised signatory for export health certificates to enable live animals to pass from the UK into the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances they have received from the EU that an authorised signatory other than an official vet will be deemed acceptable in signing export health certificates to enable live animals to pass from the UK into the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: We will continue to uphold the very highest international standards of food safety and animal welfare when we leave the EU. Veterinary checks, required by non-EU countries, are critical to these requirements and have been carried out for many years on live animals (farm, equines, pets, exotics and rodents). European Commission regulations stipulate that third country imports of live animals must be accompanied by an export health certificate signed by an official vet and, for certain commodities, such as fish for human consumption, by an Environmental Health Officer. No other category of individual is being proposed and therefore discussions have not been necessary. Only Official Vets can sign EHCs for live animals, as they require a clinical examination, and this will continue when we leave the EU. No other individual will be designated an authorised signatory for live animal exports. In our technical guidance issued in September on exports of animals and animal products if we leave the EU without a deal, we said: “EHCs would need to be signed by an Official Veterinarian or authorised signatory following inspection of the consignment.” The only other authorised signatories in this context are officials certified by The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) for live fish exports such as tropical fish; and Environmental Health Officers employed by local authorities to sign certificates for exports of fish for human consumption. We are not proposing anyone other than an Official Vet will sign EHCs for live animals, therefore, assurances from the EU are not required.

Veterinary Medicine: Drugs

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have made to enable veterinary medicines authorised for veterinary use by regulators in an EU Member State to be used in the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional checks, if any, will be required on veterinary medicines which have been authorised for veterinary use by regulators in an EU Member State to be used in the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government has robust plans in place to ensure the highest standards of regulation in the event of a ‘no deal’. We are working with the animal medicines industry to ensure that supplies of veterinary medicines remain available in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.   There is an existing scheme where vets can apply to import veterinary medicines authorised in another country, including EU Member States. This scheme will remain in the event of a no-deal situation.   In future, veterinary medicines authorised by the European Commission (centrally authorised) will not automatically be valid in the UK if we leave the EU without a deal. However, The Government will bring forward secondary legislation to convert all existing centrally authorised products into nationally authorised products on the day we leave the EU. This means that the products can remain on the market for sale and supply in their existing packaging.

Veterinary Medicine

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that there are enough vets in the UK to deal with any increased demands on veterinary care as a result of a no-deal Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is working closely with veterinary stakeholders, including the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and British Veterinary Association (BVA), to ensure that the UK has sufficient veterinary capability and capacity both immediately after exiting the EU and in the longer term. The Government has made it clear that it will protect the rights of EU citizens who are already working in the UK if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal. The Government is proposing to amend the Veterinary Surgeons Act, to ensure that EU nationals already registered to practice in our veterinary profession, or in the process of registering, by exit day will continue to have their registration recognised by the RCVS so they can continue to work in the UK. The first cohort of graduates will graduate from the University of Surrey’s new veterinary degree course in July 2019. The opening of this new veterinary course will provide a greater supply of domestically qualified vets in UK going forward.

Home Office

Visas: Iraq

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any adverse impact of current immigration policies (1) on Government supported projects designed to meet the challenges of the aftermath of the war in Iraq, and (2) the availability of visas for Iraqi civil servants wishing to participate in such projects at British universities.

baroness williams of trafford: As set out in the Immigration Rules, the permitted activities for visitors cover a broad range of tourist and business activities. The Immigration Rules support this Government’s agendas and efforts, and ensures the UK is open for business.All UK visa applications are considered on their individual merits, on the basis of the evidence available and in line with UK Immigration Rules, regardless of the applicant’s nationality.

Visas: Iraq

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any adverse impact of current immigration policies on the provision of research in British universities into gender-based displacement and violence in Iraqi Kurdistan; and what has been the impact of any refusal of visas to Iraqi-based researcherson such research.

baroness williams of trafford: As set out in the Immigration Rules, the permitted activities for visitors cover a broad range of tourist and business activities, which includes visiting academics and researchers. The Immigration Rules support this Government’s agendas and efforts, and ensures the UK is open for business.All UK visa applications are considered on their individual merits, on the basis of the evidence available and in line with UK Immigration Rules, regardless of the applicant’s nationality.